Djokovic denies Federer again, wins third Wimbledon title
By Ricky Dimon
The latest installment of the Novak Djokovic vs. Roger Federer rivalry failed to produce another five-set classic like in last year’s Wimbledon final, but by no means did it disappoint…. Well, maybe it disappointed Federer fans just a bit.
But more than a few instances of sparkling tennis were on display during Djokovic’s 7-6(1), 6-7(10), 6-4, 6-3 victory that gave the world No. 1 his third title at the All-England Club. Over the course of two hours and 55 minutes, Djokovic recorded 46 winners compared to a mere 16 unforced errors. He fired 13 aces while double-faulting only once. Federer finished with 58 winners, 35 errors, 14 aces, and three double-faults.
The 33-year-old Swiss was not without chances. He went up a break midway through the first set but gave it back right away at 4-2. Federer’s service donation was just his second of the entire tournament, having previously been broken once by Gilles Simon in the quarterfinals. Djokovic eventually forced a tiebreaker and dominated it with the loss of just one point.
Set two witnessed Djokovic’s turn to rue missed opportunities. The top seed could not convert a break point with his opponent serving at 4-5 and soon another tiebreaker had to decide things. Federer saved a whopping six more set points, including three in succession starting at 3-6. He eventually capped off the drama with a clinching volley at 11-10.
Rain appeared imminent and a delay finally stopped play following the fifth game of the third set, but not before Djokovic had regained control with another scalp of the Federer serve.
“The second-set tiebreak was frustrating, obviously, not being able to close it out,” Djokovic reflected. “I knew I could not let this happen against Roger in the final of Wimbledon. But I managed to regroup and during the rain delay got my thoughts together, went back to basics and played a really, really good match after that.”
Federer never had much of a chance to get back into it. The world No. 2. who missed out on a break opportunity early in the third, did not see another break point the entire rest of the way. Djokovic held easily to finish off set three after a 20-minute delay then seized an even stronger upper hand by breaking for 3-2 in the fourth.
The Serb punctuated his impressive performance in style, getting the best of Federer’s serve again at 5-3.
“Novak not only played great today, but also this year, last year, and the year before that,” Federer joked in his on-court interview. “Well done, Novak; you deserved it. At the end he was rock-solid. I didn’t play bad myself, so I can be very happy. That’s the way it goes. Once more, it has been a privilege to play here.”
And it was a privilege for all who watched, either on Centre Court or from afar.
Topics: All England Tennis Club, Atp World Tour, Grass tennis, London, Novak Djokovic, Ricky Dimon, Roger Federer, Tennis News, The Grandstand, Wimbledon 2015, Wimbledon final
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